Linear circuit designs for solar photovoltaic concentrator and thermophotovoltaic applications using cell and substrate materials with matched coefficients of thermal expansion

Abstract

A shingle circuit array and a method of assembling the shingle circuit is provided. The array has a shingle circuit with a substrate, an insulation film layer, a metal layer and TPV cells connected to the metal layer in series forming a shingle pattern with terraces. The substrate is of CTE matched material. The metal layer may be copper pads deposited on the terraces. The TPV cells are bonded to the copper pads and may be GaSb cells. Examples of substrate materials include AlSiC or a Cu/Invar/Cu laminate sheet. The AlSiC material may be a microstructure having a continuous Al-metal phase with a discrete SiC particulate phase. The shingle circuit array may be provided in a TPV generator.

We claim:  
     
       1. A cell circuitry apparatus for generators comprising a shingle circuit array with at least one shingle circuit comprising a substrate, an insulation layer on the substrate, a metal layer on the substrate, and thermophotovoltaic cells connected to the metal layer in series forming a shingle pattern. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the substrate has terraces. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim  2 , wherein the metal layer is copper pads deposited on the terraces. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim  5 , wherein the thermophotovoltaic cells are bonded to the copper pads. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the substrate is of AlSiC material. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim  5 , wherein the shingle circuit array comprises a stacked concentrator solar cell circuit. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim  6 , further comprising GaAs/GaSb cells forming the circuit. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim  6 , further comprising plural contacts between fronts and backs of top cells of the circuit and between fronts and backs of bottom cells of the circuit. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim  6 , further comprising a ridge on the AlSiC circuit, solders connecting backs of adjacent cells and bonds connecting fronts of adjacent cells forming a single chip stack. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim  9 , wherein the solder is Bi—Sn solder. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim  10 , wherein the Bi_Sn solder has a thermal coefficient of expansion of 15. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim  5 , wherein the AlSiC material is a microstructure comprising a continuous Al-metal phase with a discrete Sic particulate phase. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim  12 , wherein the microstructure is fully dense with no void space creating a hermetic material with environmental protection of functional components in the circuitry. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the insulation layer is an insulating film. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the thermophotovoltaic cells are GaSb cells. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the substrate is an iron/nickel alloy with 46% nickel (alloy 46). 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the substrate is a Cu/Invar/Cu laminate sheet. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim  17 , further comprising terraces on the substrate, and a thermally conductive epoxy forming the terraces and the shingle pattern. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim  1 , wherein the substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matched to said thermophotovoltaic cells. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim  1 , further comprising a generator having the shingle circuit array. 
     
     
       21. A method of assembling cell circuitry apparatus comprising forming a shingle circuit having a substrate, insulating the substrate with an insulation layer, providing metal contacts on the substrate, connecting thermophotovoltaic cells to the metal contacts, and forming shingles by stacking the thermophotovoltaic cells. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim  21 , wherein the forming the shingles comprises forming the substrate as terraces. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim  22 , wherein the providing the metal contacts comprises depositing copper pads deposited on the terraces. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim  23 , wherein the connecting the thermophotovoltaic cells comprises bonding the cells to the copper pads. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim  22 , further comprising forming the terraces by a thermally conductive epoxy. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim  21 , wherein the forming the substrate comprises providing the substrate of AlSiC material. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim  21 , wherein the insulating comprises insulating with an insulation film. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim  21 , further comprising forming a shingle circuit array by stacking plural shingle circuits, soldering backs of adjacent cells and bonding fronts of adjacent cells thereby forming a single chip stack. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim  21 , further comprising providing the shingle circuit in a generator.